Transmission of sound.



E. GRAY, DEG'D.

D. M. GRAY, EXEOUTBIX.

TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15, 1901.

989,250. Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

IIIA' www. an

WTHEEEES: i

E. GRAY, DBCD.

D. M. GRAY, EXBCUTRIX.

TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15,1901.

989,250. Patented Apr.11,1911.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

7 BHEETS-SHEBT 3.

' E. GRAY, DBCD.

D. M. GRAY, EXEUUTRIX.

TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.15,1901.

E. GRAY, DECD.'

D. M.GBAY,I:XBGUTBIX.

TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLIOATIONIILBDAPB.15,1901.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

'l SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f ai? E. GRAY, DECD.

D'. M.G11AY,BXB0UTR1X.

TRANSMISSION OF SOUND.

APPLmATloN PILBD 11111.15, 1901. 989,250. Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITHESSES;

E. GRAY, DECD.

D. M. GRAY, EXEUUTRIX.

TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLICATION FILED M1115, 1901.

989,250.. Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

E. GRAY, DECD.

D. M. GRAY, BxnoUTBIx. TRANSMISSION 0F SOUND.

APPLICATION FILED APBJ, 1901.

Patented Apr. 11,1911.

l 7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

Wn' :ss-as;

UNI

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELIA M. GRAY,I OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, EXECUTRIX 0F ELISHA GRAY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, TO SUBMARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. K

TRANSMISSION OF SOUND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ELIsHA GRAY, of Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, did invent a new and useful Improvement in the Transmission of Sound, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention herein described is adapted to what may be termed long distance transmission of sound in water. In some respects it may be considered as an improvement upon the invention described in the patent to Elisha Gray and Arthur J Mundy, dated November 7, 1899, No. 636,519, for transmission of sound, and in other respects it is not an improvement upon said invention, but an invention of a different character. The invention of said Letters Patent is adapted to transmit sound of a peculiar character produced in a peculiar way in water for relatively short distances. Experiments have shown that with the apparatus described in said patent it is ineffective for relatively long distances, that is, distances exceeding three miles, and the commercial use of said patented invention is therefore restricted as ordinary commercial purposes for which that invention and the present invention were designed require a much greater range than this, and experiments with the present invention have shown a sound transmission capacity of twelve miles between the transmitting station and the receiving point. This important advance in the art it is believed is due to two causes; the first relates to the sound-producing device, meaning by that the device itself and the means by which it is sounded, and the second to the receiving and transmitting apparatus, which receives or takes up the sound from the water and delivers it at any desired point. Before describing these parts of the improved and new system it will be well to say in what it further consists and how it may be used.

The object of the invention is the transmission through water of signals from a station to a moving object or other station more or less remote from it and in an intelligibleway and for the purpose of warning or transmitting information. t t

The sound-producing station 1s usually in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1901.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911. serial No. 55,935.

an exposed and often times an inaccessible distancel from the sound-transmitting station and which contains means for actuating the sound-producing device at will and may contain the means for providing it with power; second, submerged stationary, soundproducing devices connected with the shore station, and third, a sound-receiving and transmitting apparatus submerged in water at a distance from the sound-producing apparatus and generally variable in position in relation to it. These three elements, however, may be differently combined and associated, in that the first and second may be combined and movable in the water and the third element may be held stationary in the water; or the sound-producing station may also have a receiver and the receiving point may also have a sound-producer.

The form of sound or impulse-producing device which experiment has shown to the inventor to be the most desirable one is that obtained by a large naked bell of the usual type, (by naked is meant having its outer surface in physical contact with the 'water so that its vibrations are communicated directly to the water) submerged deeply in deep water, having no sound-reflecting surfaces orbodies immediately at hand, and forcibly struck at will by a power-operated hammer.

That suiiicient power may be secured for the operation of the hammer it has been found desirable that the hammer-actuating mechanism also should be submerged with the bell and held in such close relation therewith that the hammer may be actuated to deliver heavy, single, intermittent blows upon the bell. Not only this, but the power must be of such a form as to be absolutely controllable at a distance and for this reason there has been employed as a means for actuating the hammer a powerful electro motor contained in a water-tight case and comprising a powerful magnet or magnets connected with the bell hammer by intermediate dei vices preferably in the form of levers.l The magnet ormagnets are energized by an electric current originated by a dynamo at the shore station or any other convenient point and denergized at will at the shore station, the cable extending into or through the shore station and being there connected with means by which, the electriccurrent for energizing the magnets is controlled.

It has been found by experiment-that not only -should the bell be heavy, should be exposed to the water, should be struck forcibly by the hammer and should be deeply submerged, but it is desirable that it should also have anote that shall be as free from opposin or clashing overtones` or other Y -sound-kllling eifects as possible, and it has been ascertainedby the inventor that the sounds or impulses which have the greatestcarrying force, that is, which will carry the greatest distance from the sounding station are those which are Y'of the purest character and produced within certain limits of vibration, that is, other things being equal, bells which sound a notehaving vibrations between 360 a second and 1440 a second are probably the best adapted for producing sound signals or impulses of large carrying capacity. tions of such a bell, so operated, has the capacity to transmit or carry the impulses or vibrations of the sound in a circle continually increasing in diameter and in height for relatively great distances from the sound-originating means, one experiment demonstrating a transmitting capacity of twelve miles in one direction from the bell and the entire sound Iield indicated by this would exceed that of a circular area twentyfour miles in diameter. The inventor therefore believes that he is the first to discover a perfect means for transmitting sound signals long distances by water.

Another part of his invention, which he Ahas demonstrated by experiments, consists may be received by a receiving apparatus,

creases in energy as its distance increases,-

producing numberless points at which it that is, 'while there may be but a single transmitting point, possible receiving points are limitless and the same signal may therefore be received by receiving devices upon all sides of the transmittin point, and which may be separated, as has een shown above by distances of at least twenty-four miles,

Deep water receiving the vibraa multiple sound-receiver. Fig.

the transmitting vibrations advancing on continually widening zone or circle which may be tapped at any point by a receiver.

, The energy of the widening zone or circle of sound vibrations becomes less as it recedes from the initial station or center, and its effectiveness in actuating a single receiver satisfactorily correspon ngly diminishes. (If, however, instead of employing a single receiving instrumentality for receiving, when so diminished, the sound vibrations, there shall be used a number of receivers Vseparated from each other, but adaptedto simultaneously receive vibrations at diiferent points from the same traveling sound zone or wave, and to concentrate or focus them, something of a reverse eifect is secured in that faint vibrations thus brought together and nally combined in a single receiver, due to the concentration of a number of individual transmitters each acting independently of the others to receive the sound vibrations from some part of the passing sound zone,) and the inventor has discovered by experiment that where a single receiver will not act at a considerable distance from the originating station to deliver a well deined audible signal, a number of receivers acting conjointly at a much greater distance from the said station will receive combine and deliver a well defined and sufficiently audible signal. A

From this description of the inventors system it will appear that a new method of sound signaling by water has been devised by the described conjunction and relation of the special sound-producing apparatus to the special sound-receiving apparatus.

The invention will now be described in connection with the drawings, forming a part of the specification in which-4 Figure 1 is a view illustrating in a genera way the apparatus employed. Fig. '2 is a view, enlarged, to represent the sound bell, its hammer and means for actuating it. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section, enlarged, upon the dotted line.3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section, enlarged, upon the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of the sound bell and hammer,` showing a modification to which reference is hereinafter made. Fig. 6 is'a view in elevation of 7 is a view thereof, enlarged, upon the dotted line 7-7 of Fig. 6, also showing a portion of one of the receivers broken out toillustrate its interior construction. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic station is in relatively deep water and sufficiently removed from submerged sound-reflect-ing `surfaces not to be affected by them. Itis desirable that the sound bell a. at the signal station shall be suspended at least from 15 to 25 feet below the surface of the water. The signal station is connected with the operating station C by the cable c. The distance between the two is immaterial. lt may be a short distance or it may be a number of miles. The operating station contains the means or is connected with the means for energizing the electro motor which actuates the bell hammer and which is contained in a water-tight case a1, which is submerged with the bell and has operative relation to it and its hammer a2. The motor, motor case and bell may be held submerged by any suitable suspending means. There is representedin the drawing as one form of such means a submerged buoyant float u anchored to the bottom by anchoring chains a4, which float or buoy is slibmerged to any desired extent, but has sufficient buoyancy to hold the bell, motor and case suspended from it. The submerged float may also have an indicating buoy a5 to float on the surface of the water connected with it by a chain a6. Any other suitable means for. suspending the bell, its motor and case may be used. The motor and devices connecting it with the bell hammer are shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It will be understood that .the bell a is in physical contact with the water in which it is submerged so that its vibrations will be communicated directly to it. The bell hammer a2 may be in physical contact with the Water as represented in Figs. 1 and 2 or it may be contained in a'water-tight case as represented in Fig. 5. The hammer as shown is contained in the cavity-of the bell and is forcibly swung by the motorin this cavity to strike the sound rim ofthe bell, but it may be exterior to the bell if desired.

' There is represented as one means for actuating the bell the electric-motor contained in the case a1 (see Figs. 2, 3 .and 4) where A1, A2, A*3 and AIt represent stationary magnets. Mounted in the Chamber A5 of the case al is a cast iron rocker A, shown in plan in Fig. 3. fIt has trunnions ai mounted in the bearings a8, at. Cla-mped within the frame of the rocker are four laminated armatures al, a and (1,12, a. Their laminations are laid together so that their edges form the faces of the armatures that are presented to the poles of the magnets. There are four magnets the poles of which present themselvesto the armatures and which face downward over the forward faces of the armatures in the position shown in FigpQ. Fastened t0 the center of the rocker and extending downward at right angles to itis an arm or lever (L14 having a forked lower end a which engages with aroller aus (see Fig. 4) on the end of a short arm a which is fastened to a. shaft als, having a bearing in the air-tight box al located within the cavity of the bell. The chamber a of this box a communicates with the chamber of the case (L6 through a hole in the connecting tube a. both ends. The lower end is screwed firmly into the box while the upper end passes up'- ward through the crown of the bell and through the plate L22 which forms the lower end of the case.. The bell is seated inside to receive the upper end of the box. A heavy nut (L23 is screwed on to the upper end of the tube (see Fig. 4) down upon the plate a?? to clalnp the case and box together and at the 'same time secure the bell firmly between them. The arm or lever which is secured to the rocker passes down through thehole in the tube' to the chamber of the box where its fork straddles the roller. Secured to the outer end of the rock shaft are two dowuward-extending, inwardly bent arms a, agi. The lower ends'of these arms meet at a point directly under the center of the box and are there secured to the arm of the bell hammer.

The rock shaft may be packed in any desired way. There is shown one way which comprises the rubber tubes a2, c, through which the rock shaft passes and which have their outer ends attached to the shaft and their inner ends to'the box. When the bell hammer moves there will be a torsional strain upon the tubes according to the direction in which the hammer moves. The hammer and its arm are shaped to cut through the water with the least resistance.

The number of rockers and magnets may be multiplied or 'used in series if desired and in Fig. 2 I have representedthe employment of a second rocker with its armatures supported upon trunnions within the chamber' of the case and connected with the lower rocker by. connecting links at each corner. There are also shown magnets for operating the second rocker. The magnets are connected electrically and when charged act upon vthe armatures of both rockers and cause them to throw the bell hammer with great force against the bell, one group serving, when energized, to throw the rockers and swing bell hammer in lone direction against the bell and the other group, when energized, serving to throw the rockers and swing the bell hammer in the opposite direction against the bell.

The wire t28 is common to both groups of magnets and is connected to one pole of the source lof electrical power. The wire/12" is connected toone group of magnets and the wire as isconnected to the other group of magnets by means of a swltch or commutator, workedl either by hand or automati- The tube is threaded at other, causing strokes of the bell in any order and predetermined, or otherwise.

In'F ig. 5 the bell hammer is represented as inclosed in an air-tight chamber contained within the cavity of the bell and to the walls of which chamber there' are yield- -ingly secured metal transferers to receive the blow of the bell hammer and transmit itsl impulses to the bell. In said drawing A8 is a water-tight case forming the bell hammer chamber. It is suspendedfrom the box and opens into it. It may be made of metal or' any other suitable material and it is of a size to permit the oscillation of the bell hammer. It has in the line of oscillationl of the hammer, in close contact to the bell, the transferers @31, a, which preferably are'of metal and which are adapted to be struck by the bell hammer. They are secured to the wall of the chamber by resilient holders a33, preferably ofl rubber' and provided with cylindrical sections to fit upon integral sleeves extending from the Wall to which they are attached. The transferers are thus held adjacentto the bell so that when `struck by the hammer they deliver 'its blow to the surface of the bell, but

are then immediately returned from its surface by their holders. Substantially this construction of motor, naked hammer and bell have been demonstrated by experiment to have a wonderful effect in producing sound vibrations which impart to the water with which the bell is directly in contact radiating vibrations of great carrying or transmitting power and value. This, as has already been intimated, it is thought is due to the fact that the bell was in physical contact with the water; that it was deeply submerged; that it was very forcibly struck; that the sound of the bell did not set up Vchoking or disturbing vibrations to any considerable extent, and 'that there were'no sound-reflecting surfaces adjacent to the bell. This part of the invention, however, is not confined to the structure described, as any equivalents" for the same," which 'will produce the results mentioned, may be employed.

There lwill now be described certain form of receivers useful in this system. They are not herein claimed as they form the subjectA matter of a divisional application hereof.

The multiple receiver E is represented as I deeply submerged in water andas suspended from a vessel, as represented in Fig.l 1 andfwhile it is desirable whenl used for receiving sound impulses transmitted by water when the distances are long that it be deeply submerged, it is not always essential that it should be. The multiple receiver may also be employed for receiving and transmitting sound vibrations in the air. It

ofany material capable ofy vibration'. It' has one surface in contact with the water and one in contact with the air of the chamber and it is vibrated by the action of the sound waves upon it. All the chambers e of the 4multiple receiver are air-tight when used for submarine purposes and in each chamber there is arranged a sound trans# mitter which may be. like the transmitting mechanism of an ordinary carbon button.

telephone transmitter. In Fig. 7 such a carbon button telephone transmltter is shown. It is fastened to the wall of the chamber with its diaphragm e4 facin the non-electric diaphragm e2 and paral el with it and separated from it by a narrow air space 6 5. It is not necessary to further describe thls sound transmitter, and the invention is not confined to any especial Vform of sound transmitter. The sound transmitter in each chamber is connected by a suitable primary circuit with one of the induction coils e (see Fig. 8). There is an induction coil for each sound transmitter and connected with each by an individual primary circuit and these coils are represented in Fig." 8 as arranged in two series of equal number. Each series is connected with a telephone' receiver by a secondary circuit which includes all the coils of a series, the coils being connected with each other in series.

The two telephone receivers by which the l batteries should be arrangedto send their current in the same direction through the coils. All the transmitters are connected with the single main return wire which is also connected with the coils. The wires which connect the transmitters with the coils are assembled in a cable e and the cable may be the means for suspending the receiver in the water from the vessel or other support. l l

The two series of coils e6 may be located on the vessel or in anyy other place or at 4any distance from the receivers'and the telephone reoeivers e", e, may be at any convenient place in the vessel or in any other place or at any desired distance from the coils. Two receivers are represented and both may be used by the hearer, or they may be used by two persons at the same time; only one receiver or more than two may be employed if desired.

The connection of a number of transmitters with induction coils and the inclusion of a number of said coils so connected with separate transmitters in a circuit, including a receiver, focuses, increases or intensies the sound impulses received by the receiver and delivered by the transmitter. Then each receiver circuit includes the same number of coils there will be no difference in the intensity of the sound signals delivered by each receiver, but if the number of coils with each receiver is varied then the intensity of the sound impulses delivered by the receivers will be correspondingly varied.

The chamber e and non-electric diaphragm may face in different directions, those represented in Figs. 6 and 7 are arranged to face in three directions. By this it will be understood that the taut or receiving diaphragms are disposed so that some face in one direction` others in another direction and the remainder in a third direction. When used in the water to receive sound impulses transferred by it, the diaphragms receive the vibrations and set in vibration the air contained inthe chambers and the vibration of the air in the chambers in turn causes the diaphragms of the telephone transmitters to be vibrated, thereby actuating the transmitting` devices and setting up an impulse current in the electric circuits, which is repeated on the diaphragms of the receivers e7, es.

While one receiver (and there is meantby this a single receiving diaphragm, transmitter, electric circuit and receiver) will answer for short distances, for longer distances it is desirable to employ two or more in circuit with one receiver, and it may be stated as a rule that the greater the distance from their, source it is desired to receive the sound impulses the larger the number of individual receivers in circuit with a single receiver should be employed. This is because of the diffusion and the weakening of the sound impulses or waves as they recede from their source; by multiplying the number of receivers and combining or focusing their action the individual, weakened impulses which each receives are so strengthened at the focusing point as to make distinctly audible what otherwise might be uncertain; in other words, each one of the receivers may be likened to a single ear having definite sound-receiving properties, and the group of receivers ma-y be considered a series of individual ears of the same power or capacity. The connection of these ears on, each ear taking its impulses from a dif- I ferent section of the sound wave common to all.

While the different receivers or ears are represented in the iigures as somewhat closely assembled and pointing in different directions, it is not meant that the invention should be limited in these respects, as they may be arranged much farther apart and may point only in one direction. Neither is it intended that the invention shall be confined to a structure in which taut diaphragms act to receive the sound impulses, for any instrumentality which will receive such impulses and by its own vibration cause or set up vibrations in the diaphragm of one or more telephone transmitters adjacent thereto or to air interposed between it and telephone transmitters, may be used, and in this connection it should be noted that the shell or frame of a vessel may constitute a receiving diaphragm for taking impulses from sound waves and that the telephone transmitters may be arranged with respect to the said shell or frame to take up its vibrations and transmit them to a central and common deliverypoint. It should be further noted that the multiple receiving and transmitting -devices, associated to separately or individually receive sound impulses of any kind and to transmit and combine them at a cent-ral point or station, may be used in air and for any purpose where it is desired to receive separate sound impulses, whether faint or otherwise, and combine them by aggregating them at a single station.

By experiment in deep sea water it has been found possible by means of the multiple receiver described, to plainly hear sound signals or impulses transmitted by the water ata point twelve miles from their source.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the individual receivers are represented as exposed to the water u on all sidesv the taut'diaphragms being in orward and exposed positions. In Fig. 9 the non-electric diaphragms are represented as arranged in the sides of a box-like structure, having a single chamber for all.- the said diaphragms.

The advantages of the invention are apparent and do not need further explanation. The uses to which it -may be put are many and very important. prior to this invention has been devised for signaling at all times of the day and night and under all conditions of weather and temperature from shore to vessel or vice versa or from vesselto vessel. All signals are of relatively short range, uncertain and No successful means contact with the water, a striker'an unreliable. Artificial light signals are use-l -ful at night only when the weather is clear,

understood, of course, that each induction coil may have an individual return wire to its transmitter. Likewise there is shown in the drawing a'battery in each transmitter circuit. This isonlyconv'entional, however, and a single battery for all the circuits may be located in the common return wire which then, of course, forms a portion of all the transmitter circuits. The telephone receiver instead of being connected with the inductionI coils in series may be connected with the induction coils in multiple. The telephone receiver may be connected with the induction coils in series of two or more and in multiple with two or more series. Where two telephone receivers are used lall the i11- duction coils may be in series and the telephone receivers connected inseries in the same circuit. The induction coils may also be in series and the telephone receivers 1n multiple with the same series of induction coils. These variationsare named as equivalents both in the specification and in the claims.

The invention being thus fully described, what is claimed and what is desired to be secured yby Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:-

1. In a system for the transmission of sound by water, the lcombination of a means for producing sound waves of high carrying power in water, comprising a sub merged sound-producing instrumentality of capacity for largeinitial energy all the vibrating portions whereof are in physical means for operating said striker to deliver u on said sound-producin instrumentality orcible power-driven blows, a watertight casing inclosing saidstrikerfoperating means, and a sound receiver for receiving from the water the sounds communicated to the water by said sound-producing instrumentality.

2. In a system for the transmission of Sound by water, the combination with a common receiver of a means for producing sound Waves in water with a submerged multiple sound receiver and transmitter, comprising a group of independent transmitters a apted simultaneously to receive and continuously to transmit sound waves originating at the same source to said common receiver.

3. The comblnation of a meansof producing sound waves in water, means located tensifying and delivering them, the same comprising a number of individual electric receivers and transmitters adapted to indil vidually receive sound impulses from different sections of the same sound wave and to simultaneously transmit them,fand a common receiver with which said individual receivers and transmitters are electrically connected and by meansof which then sound impulses vreceived by them are accumulated, associated and intensified.

4. In a system for the transmission of sound, a means for producing'sound waves and a means for receiving sound, comprising a number, of -independent submerged sound receivers adapted to receive impulses from different parts of the same sound wave, and a sound-transmitting device for each receiver adapted to transmit the sound impulses from the receivers to 'a focuser or combiner, and said sound focuser or combiner.

5. In a system for the transmission of sound by water, a means of producing sound waves in water of high power, large initial energy, of suitable tone and .at will and means for `receiving said sound impulses from the water and transmitting them to a common receiving point, comprising a number of submerged independent sound-receiving diaphragms or surfaces submerged in whole or in part in the Water for receiving di'erent parts of the same sound wave, an electric sound transmitter associated with each of said diaphragms or surfaces for receiving the sound impulses thereof and transmitting them, and a common focusing or receiving oint, having a receiver with which the said individual transmitters are 4commonly connected to focus, associate and intensify the sound impulses which they receive. 4

6. In a system for the transmission of sound by water, a means for producing sound waves under water"`and a means for receivi the sur ace of the water comprising a plurality of sound receivers located about a c'ommonaxis, said means being adapted to receive sound from all directions and transi such sound waves located beneath 

